LIMONIUM FREDERICI
1. Limonium frederici (W.Barbey) Rechinger fil. (1943a: 427) (Fig. 81)
Basionym:-Statice frederici W.Barbey in Stefani & al. (1895: 127). Type (lectotype, designated here):-GREECE. Dodecanese: Karpathos, 27 Majo 1886, Forsyth Major 254 (P!, isolectotypes G!, FI!, K!).
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a pulvinate sub-shrub 10-40 cm tall, with ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 5-30 cm long, loosely branched and densely spirally leafy. Leaves fleshy to coriaceous, green to glaucous, rugose, often with undulate margins, 15-50 mm long and 10-20 mm broad, obcordate to broadly spathulate, emarginate, retuse, flat, with one central nerve or additionally with 2 lateral nerves. Stems slender 5-30 cm long, rugose, green to glaucous, straight to slightly flexuous, branched in the upper half. Inflorescence obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches absent. Fertile branches 0.5-3.0 cm long, curved to straight, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 30°-50°, undivided. Spikes 20-100 mm long, straight to curved, inserted erect to obliquely. Spikelets slender, 8.5-9.5 mm long, composed of 1-4 flowers, arranged mostly bi-serially, remotely to densely with 1-5 per cm. Outer bract 2.3-3.0 mm long and 2.4-3.0 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 2.8-3.3 mm long and 1.9-2.2 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 6.2-7.2 mm long and 3.5-4.3 mm broad, elliptical, obtuse; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, oblong, 5.0-6.0 mm long and 2.2-3.0 mm broad, acuminate, forming a very narrowly triangular tip, 1.1-1.8 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 6.4-7.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.5-2.5 mm; calyx tube glabrous or sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending in the middle of lobes; calyx lobes
c. 0.7 × 0.7 mm, nearly triangular. Corolla pink.
Distribution:-Dodecanese Islands of Karpathos, Ofidoussa, Saria, Tria Nisia, Zaforas and the northern Cretan Islands of Dragonada, Gramvousa, Paximada and Psira (Fig. 87D).
Habitat:-L. frederici usually grows on the cliffs near the sea, but can also be found in localities distant from the sea or sometimes along the rocky coast, but always on limestone.
Taxonomic remarks:-The species was described by Barbey (cfr. Stefani & al. 1895) sub Statice frederici on material collected in 1886 at Karpathos by Forsyth Major. Taxonomically, L. frederici is an isolated species, belonging to the L. albidum (Guss.) Pignatti group. Among the species of Limonium occurring in Greece, L. frederici shows more relations with L. heraionense, but it differs from the latter by having broader leaves and longer spikelets, inner bracts and calyces.
Basionym:-Statice frederici W.Barbey in Stefani & al. (1895: 127). Type (lectotype, designated here):-GREECE. Dodecanese: Karpathos, 27 Majo 1886, Forsyth Major 254 (P!, isolectotypes G!, FI!, K!).
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a pulvinate sub-shrub 10-40 cm tall, with ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 5-30 cm long, loosely branched and densely spirally leafy. Leaves fleshy to coriaceous, green to glaucous, rugose, often with undulate margins, 15-50 mm long and 10-20 mm broad, obcordate to broadly spathulate, emarginate, retuse, flat, with one central nerve or additionally with 2 lateral nerves. Stems slender 5-30 cm long, rugose, green to glaucous, straight to slightly flexuous, branched in the upper half. Inflorescence obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches absent. Fertile branches 0.5-3.0 cm long, curved to straight, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 30°-50°, undivided. Spikes 20-100 mm long, straight to curved, inserted erect to obliquely. Spikelets slender, 8.5-9.5 mm long, composed of 1-4 flowers, arranged mostly bi-serially, remotely to densely with 1-5 per cm. Outer bract 2.3-3.0 mm long and 2.4-3.0 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 2.8-3.3 mm long and 1.9-2.2 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 6.2-7.2 mm long and 3.5-4.3 mm broad, elliptical, obtuse; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, oblong, 5.0-6.0 mm long and 2.2-3.0 mm broad, acuminate, forming a very narrowly triangular tip, 1.1-1.8 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 6.4-7.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.5-2.5 mm; calyx tube glabrous or sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending in the middle of lobes; calyx lobes
c. 0.7 × 0.7 mm, nearly triangular. Corolla pink.
Distribution:-Dodecanese Islands of Karpathos, Ofidoussa, Saria, Tria Nisia, Zaforas and the northern Cretan Islands of Dragonada, Gramvousa, Paximada and Psira (Fig. 87D).
Habitat:-L. frederici usually grows on the cliffs near the sea, but can also be found in localities distant from the sea or sometimes along the rocky coast, but always on limestone.
Taxonomic remarks:-The species was described by Barbey (cfr. Stefani & al. 1895) sub Statice frederici on material collected in 1886 at Karpathos by Forsyth Major. Taxonomically, L. frederici is an isolated species, belonging to the L. albidum (Guss.) Pignatti group. Among the species of Limonium occurring in Greece, L. frederici shows more relations with L. heraionense, but it differs from the latter by having broader leaves and longer spikelets, inner bracts and calyces.
FIGURE 81. Limonium frederici (W. Barbey) Rechinger fil. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Habit and leaves drawn from “Karpathos, Evgonimos, Brullo & Giusso s.n., Herb. Erben, CAT”, spikelet details from “K.H. & F. Rechinger 7720, M”).